Trudeau tried to position his party as the only one focused on the average Canadian while painting the Conservatives as “divisive” with no “real solutions.” The prime minister made no mention of the NDP, who are low in the polls and struggling to bring in much-needed cash for next year’s election campaign.

Just before his speech, news broke that Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc broke ethics rules during his time as fisheries minister. He is the third Liberal minister to have been found in breach of ethics rules. The others are Trudeau himself and Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

The Liberals have enjoyed a recent bump in popularity after a rocky first half of 2018 dominated by mishaps during Trudeau’s trip to India and criticism over the government’s handling of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Trudeau has enjoyed an uptick over the summer while his government navigates contentious trade talks with the United States and a tense relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland got a standing ovation from her caucus colleagues when Trudeau thanked her during the brief time that reporters were allowed in the party’s meeting room.

“You are standing up for Canadian workers, defending our interests, and working tirelessly to get us to a deal that is good for Canadians and good for Canada,” Trudeau told Freeland.

Freeland is briefing the prime minister this morning on her Tuesday trip to Washington where she said a deal is “eminently possible.”